The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on week-13 in the NFL...

1. Plan-C was grade-A for the Texans on Sunday. In his first career start, rookie QB T.J. Yates completed 12 of 25-passes for 188-yards with a touchdown and more importantly 0-INT's in Houston's 17-10 win over Atlanta. After the victory, Yates joined me and Steve Torre on the Sunday Drive, and made it clear that despite his lack of experience, the coaching staff hasn't gone ultra conservative: "Coach Kubiak made it a point that he wasn't going to cut back any of the offense, so we're just going to keep rolling like we have all season."

2. The biggest difference in the 9-2 Texans as compared to last season continues to be the defense. Houston was ranked 30th in total-D and gave up an average of 26.7-points per game during the 2010 regular season. This year, they're ranked 2nd, and are allowing just 15.8-points per game. And as they've suffered key injuries to offensive playmakers like Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub, the defense has gotten even stingier. During their 6-game winning streak, the Texans are surrendering a little over 10-points per game. As I said last week, if you're looking for a team MVP, look no further than defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

3. Does any quarterback make it look easier than Aaron Rodgers? After the Giants pulled even with the Packers at 35-35 with 58-seconds remaining, Rodgers moved the offense down the field faster than Brett Favre changes his mind about retirement.

1st and 10 at GB 20: Rodgers completes 24-yard pass to Jermichael Finley
1st and 10 at GB 44: Rodgers completes 27-yard pass to Jordy Nelson
1st and 10 at NYG 29: Packers lose a yard on Rodgers completion to Brandon Saine
2nd and 11 at NYG 30: Rodgers completes 18-yard pass to Greg Jennings

That's all it took...4-plays to set up Mason Crosby's game winning 30-yard field goal as time expired. The moral of the story is, if you leave Rodgers with enough time to beat you, he will every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

4. Happy Holidays Greg Jennings...You got a gift touchdown, and the officials should have overturned the call. The Packers wide receiver made a 20-yard TD catch in the 3rd quarter to give Green Bay a 28-17 lead, but in my mind he never fully secured the ball before it was knocked out of his hands by Prince Amukamara.

5. In a critical AFC North match up Sunday, the Bengals put on a clinic that I've entitled "Self Inflicted Wounds." On its first offensive possession of the game, Cincinnati moved from its own 37-yard line to the Pittsburgh 4, where on 3rd and goal QB Andy Dalton connected with tight end Jermaine Gresham for a touchdown. However, a false start penalty on rookie receiver A.J. Green nullified the TD. Dalton then threw an incompletion on 3rd and goal from the 9, setting up a short Mike Nugent field goal attempt. Nugent's kick was good, but a delay of game wiped it out, and from 33-yards away his next attempt was blocked. It was all downhill from there as the Bengals weren't competitive for the first time all season in a 35-7 loss to the Steelers.

6. You were unlucky, but you didn't do anything wrong Brian Urlacher. At the end of the 1st half against the Chiefs Sunday, the Bears linebacker knocked down a hail mary pass in the end zone, which is what defensive players are taught to do. Unfortunately for Urlacher, the ball went straight to Kansas City running back Dexter McCluster, who caught the deflection for a touchdown. What made the freak play even tougher to swallow for the Bears...It was the only TD they allowed all day as they fell to the Chiefs 10-3.

7. The Todd Collins award of the week goes to Caleb Hanie. In a pathetic display, the Bears QB completed just 11 of 24-passes for 133-yards with 0-TD's and 3-INT's against Kansas City. Did Chicago lose Donovan McNabb's phone number or something?

8. Say what you want about Mark Sanchez, but the Jets quarterback continues to make big plays in the 4th quarter. Trailing the Redskins 16-13 with just over 6-minutes remaining, the Jets faced 3rd and 4 at the Washington 45-yard line. On the play, Sanchez avoided blitzing cornerback Kevin Barnes, and at the last possible moment completed a sidearm throw to running back Shonn Greene for 10-yards. Two plays later, Sanchez's 30-yard TD strike to wide receiver Santonio Holmes put the Jets in front for good.

9. There's a thin line between aggressive and stupid...The Lions still haven't figured that out. Despite the suspension of Ndamukong Suh, Detroit still took 11-penalties for 107-yards, including 3-personal fouls Sunday night in their 31-17 defeat at the hands of the Saints.

10. It took Dan Orlovsky exactly 1-start to throw for more yards than Curtis Painter had in any of his 8-starts for the Colts. Not to go overboard, but Orlovsky looked down right Manning like in dissecting the Patriots secondary for 353-yards with a pair of touchdowns. Indianapolis is now 0-12, but going winless doesn't seem like such a certainty anymore.

11. I realize he's put up big numbers against two of the league's worst run defenses, but Titans running back Chris Johnson looks as if he's gotten some of that quickness back. In Tennessee's first 9-games, Johnson averaged just over 56-yards rushing, and scored only 2-touchdowns. In their last 2-games, he's averaged more than 171-yards on the ground, and found the end zone twice against the Bills. If Johnson has truly found his form, he can be a major factor for a Titans team that's now in the thick of the AFC wildcard race.

12. Ever get the feeling Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour decides it's time for a quick exit when his team is getting blown out of the water. Seymour was ejected for throwing a punch in the 3rd quarter of Sunday's 34-14 loss to the Dolphins. Last season, Seymour was tossed for hitting Ben Roethlisberger in a game Pittsburgh dominated, beating Oakland 35 to 3. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think it's more than a coincidence.

13. Andy Reid can make all the excuses he wants for DeSean Jackson, but to quote Rocky Balboa's trainer Mickey Goldmill, (bet you didn't know his last name was Goldmill) Jackson is playing like "a bum." Jackson did his best invisible man impersonation in Seattle Thursday night, with just 4-receptions for 34-yards. He sees dollar signs this off season, but Jackson has clearly checked out on his team.

14. The next time Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett wants to ice a kicker, somebody needs to tell him to do it go the guy on the other team. Garrett called timeout just before Dan Bailey hit what would've been a game winning 49-yard field goal for Dallas. Bailey's next try was both short and left, sending the game to overtime where the Cardinals beat the Cowboys 19-13. I don't envy Garrett trying to explain what happened to Jerry Jones.

15. What does it mean when the Broncos are trailing in the 4th quarter? These days it means they've got you right where they want you. During their 6-1 run with Tim Tebow under center, Denver has overcome 4th quarter deficits 4-times. Their latest comeback came Sunday when they rallied to beat the Vikings 35-32. Following the win, I caught up with Broncos linebacker Mario Haggan, and he didn't hold back when it came to praising Tebow: "The criticism bounces off him...He's made of Teflon...When the 4th quarter comes you can look him in the eye and tell he's ready."